Ellen Gable's Blog, page 121

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Desperate Plea for Help

"There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary." Sister Lucia of Fatima

Years ago, a friend of ours visited us with a desperate plea for help. His girlfriend had been enticed into a cult and within days, all communication had been cut off. He couldn't talk to her or contact her in any way. He said that he loved her and knew that he wanted to marry her, but felt helpless and didn't know what to do.

With tear-filled eyes, he finally asked, "Would you pray that she is released?"

Our response was, "Of course."

When he left, James and I immediately got out our rosaries, got down on our knees and began saying a fervent, heartfelt rosary for Our Lady's intercession, that the cult would allow this girl to leave.

At the time, we said the rosary, oftentimes, more out of habit than a desperate plea for anything. This time, however, it was exactly that, a desperate plea on behalf of our friend to somehow get the cult to allow her to leave.

The next day, he called us to let us know that the cult had decided to allow her to leave. The couple eventually married and they continue to be happily married to this day.

Copyright 2011 Ellen Gable Hrkach

Photo copyright Josh Hrkach

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Working With An Editor

Today, I'm over at the Catholic Writers Guild Blog, talking about self-publishing and "working with an editor."

Here is an excerpt:

Before I started writing fiction, I had written many non-fiction articles. I mistakenly thought fiction would be easier. The first draft of my debut novel, Emily's Hope, was so bad that when I gave part of it to my kind (and honest) husband to read, his response was, "You're not going to let anyone read this, are you?"

Admittedly, I was crushed. I hired an editor and over the next two years, she helped me to take a badly written first draft and transform it into a much better novel. She helped me not only to improve my writing style, but to also create a convincing narrative voice.

To read the article in its entirety, click here. Leave a comment at the CWG Blog before Friday, October 14th to be entered to win one of two free Kindle copies of my new book, Stealing Jenny.

Sunday Snippets – October 9

Join me at RAnn's Place for Sunday Snippets, where Catholic bloggers share their posts from the previous week.

The following are my posts for the week:

I shared a pro-life article which will be published in the upcoming book, God Moments III: True Love Leads to Life: God Doesn't Give Us Anything We Can't Handle

Fiction Friday – The Story of Peace

Melee in the Courtroom In this article, I share about the peace that the rosary brought me when I was asked to testify at the trial of a dangerous offender.

The Holy Rosary – Prayers of Love How the Holy Rosary are really prayers of love…

The Story of a Soul Book Review

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God Doesn't Give Us Anything We Can't Handle

Recently, I contributed a story to the book, God Moments III: True Love Leads to Life, which will be published sometime in the future.

Since October is Respect Life Month, here is the story, "God Doesn't Give Us Anything We Can't Handle" in its entirety:

The meeting had ended and I was casually chatting with some of the attendees. One young woman handed me the ultrasound photo of her 14-week unborn baby.

"Beautiful," I said.

"I'm going to have an abortion." The words made me gasp. It was the last thing I thought I would hear from a woman showing me an ultrasound photo of her unborn baby. All I could manage to say was "Why?"

"The doctor is pretty sure that the baby has spina bifida because he isn't moving his legs. And I can't deal with a handicapped child right now." This particular woman already had two small children and she was currently separated from her husband.

"What about adoption?" I asked.

"Who would want to adopt a handicapped baby?"

"Lots of people would. I know many couples who have adopted babies with disabilities."

She looked down at the photo and shook her head. "I've already made up my mind."

I silently prayed, Please God, give me the words to convince her not to kill her baby.

"God doesn't give you anything you can't handle. He knows you can handle this. And…look at your baby. You have a picture of him right in your hands."

She sighed as she studied the photo.

"But his legs didn't move."

"Perhaps, but his heart was beating, right? He's alive."

"Yeah…I guess."

Soon our conversation was interrupted. I was disappointed because I didn't want it to end. Part of me wanted to shake her and say, "Please don't kill your baby!" But I didn't.

She walked out the door. On the way home, I continued to pray. I prayed for her over the next few days and weeks, afraid to call her, in case she had gone ahead with the abortion.

Two weeks later, she called me.

"How are you doing?" I asked.

"Okay." Her voice sounded quiet, almost sad. A lump formed in my throat. A few seconds passed. Finally, she spoke.

"I didn't have the abortion. I couldn't do it."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "That's wonderful. You won't regret it."

"You were right."

"I was?"

"Yes. When I went home, I thought about those words, 'God doesn't give you anything you can't handle' and I realized that you were right. No matter what happens, I can handle this."

Five months later, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy with no sign of spina bifida.

Photo copyright Ellen Gable Hrkach

Fiction Friday – The Story of Peace

Special thanks to Miriam Ezeh, author of "The Story of Peace" for this excerpt:

Chapter One

In a small farming village off the coast of Africa, the clouds displayed the golden brown effects of the sinking sun signaling the end of another work day. The occasional crows and bleats of animals surfaced amidst the laughter of children as they played in their parents' yards. The little ones had been to school, they had completed the day's chores, and now they remained outdoors determined to enjoy every remaining moment of the fading daylight. Farmers trekked home after another day of plowing the harsh soils while their wives prepared the modest meals that they would later call dinner. And for those women who opted to cook outside the house, the aroma of their meals mingled with the scent of wood smoke did not go unnoticed by any passerby.

In the southern end of this settlement sat a two-story cement house. The structure, though quite small and unpainted, served its farming owners well. The main level consisted of a compact living room and a scant kitchen. On the upper level, the only bathroom in the house stood sandwiched between two bedrooms. The builder saw fit to roof the house with corrugated iron while the floors received nothing but a slab of concrete.

Laughter was once a common occurrence in this home. But a tragic event befell the inhabitants slashing their number from four to two. The lives and hearts of the surviving orphans propelled in opposite directions. And instead of laughter, the grey walls of the structure became witness to tears and arguments.

On this fine day, just as the other citizens of the village were sitting down to dinner in their homes, these two orphans sat in the kitchen of their unpainted cement farm house and engaged in a debate that would determine the outcome of their lives…

Copies of The Story of Peace can be obtained from amazon.com.

Don't miss this engaging chaste love story about a young woman who struggles under the threat of violent conflict to keep her only sibling safe while relying, at the same, on her trust in Christ and on her Catholic Faith.

Thank you, Miriam, for sharing this excerpt of your beautiful novel!

The author is giving away one free Kindle copy of "The Story of Peace." Please leave a comment below before Friday, October 14 to be entered to win!

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Melee in the Courtroom

Continuing with my rosary posts, this one is about the peace that the Holy Rosary brings in times of stress.

"The Rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin…If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labors."

Pope Pius XI

Years ago, before I had children, I worked as a court reporter. During one pre-trial hearing involving a dangerous offender, the defendant (who was not being cooperative) had already been restrained in a full body shackle as well as handcuffs. Because he was resisting, the officers sprayed mace in his eyes.

He wasn't a big man, perhaps five feet six or so, but he was muscular. With eyes tearing, he began to spit, first at the crown (prosecuting) attorney, hitting the man's cheek, then at the judge (landing on the floor near the clerk's desk), and finally, his spittle ended up on my desk.

I cringed, then continued taking down the testimony on my stenograph machine, making a mental note to disinfect my desk as soon as possible. After the hearing, the defendant, still restrained in a full body shackle, continue to spit. I watched him as the prisoner box was opened. His eyes stared straight ahead and he was frowning.

What frightened me was the glaring look in his eyes. I had never seen anyone stare with such evil determination. A police officer reached in and pulled him out. As the defendant stepped forward, he immediately rammed his head into the accompanying police officer's face.

I still remember the look in the defendant's eyes as he used his head as a weapon against the officer, the officer's shocked and bloodied face, and six police and correctional officers jumping on the defendant as he hurled each officer off of him. It was surreal to me, like in a dream or a movie. The defendant seemed to have superhuman strength.

As the melee of defendant and officers started to move in my direction, I immediately became concerned for my own safety. The clerk leaned over and whispered, "We need to get out of here."

I grabbed my expensive stenograph machine and the two of us slipped into the jury room behind us. We stood close to the door, peeking through the crack to watch was what happening. We were shocked at how seemingly superhuman the defendant was. It took several minutes, but the defendant was finally subdued and taken away. We were all relieved, but in the days following, I began experiencing nightmares.

The real problems began when I was served with a subpoena to testify at the assault trial. Just thinking of this dangerous offender and the apparent evil in his expression frightened me. I couldn't eat; I couldn't sleep. I began to conjure up images that he would hunt me down and kill me if I testified.

Finally, I decided that I was not going to let that man take away my peace of mind. I sat down and said a rosary for Mary's intercession that God would protect me and help me to be a good witness for the prosecution.

Weeks later, at the trial, it was nerve-wracking and frightening to testify in front of the defendant and all the others in the courtroom. It was a long half hour, but I told the truth, to the best of my ability. When I left the courtroom, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Two years later, however, I received a subpoena to testify at another trial involving the same incident. At that time, I was pregnant with my oldest son and all the original worry and fear took hold of me once more.

I brought my anxiety once again to Mary. If they needed me to be a witness, then I would again do my best. I began to make arrangements to travel to court (now three hours away). Thankfully, two weeks before the trial, I received a phone call that they would not need me after all.

I have no idea where this defendant is now, 27 years later, or if he is still alive. But Mary taught me that if we bring our worry and anxiety to her, she will take care of the rest.

Copyright 2011 Ellen Gable Hrkach

The Holy Rosary – Prayers of Love

October is the month of the Holy Rosary. Last October, I shared several rosary stories at Sarah Reinhard's blog. This year, I'll share them here. The first story is below:

"When lovers are together, they spend hours and hours repeating the same thing: I love you! What is missing in the people who think the Rosary monotonous, is Love." Sister Lucia of Fatima

I have been a Catholic for my entire life, but it is only in the last 26 or so years that I have had a devotion to the Holy Rosary. I attended Catholic schools until seventh grade. As a teenager, I would have identified myself as Catholic, but between television and secular influences, I didn't totally embrace my faith until after I was married. This was only because my husband insisted that we not use contraception during our marriage.

As we dialogued back and forth in those few months before our wedding day, I didn't know or understand why the Church taught that married couples shouldn't use contraception to avoid pregnancy. In fact, I remember thinking that the Church just ought to come out of the Dark Ages and get more in line with the modern world.

In the end, I decided to trust my husband (and the Church). In the next year, we read Humanae Vitae, as well as other church documents, and I became fully convinced that the Church was indeed speaking the truth when she declared that contraception was a grave sin. Before we were married, we learned Natural Family Planning and we are now a CCL NFP Teaching Couple Specialist (and have been teaching NFP for 27 years).

During that first year of our marriage, a couple of Jehovah's Witnesses came to our door. My husband and I welcomed them and dialogued with them. Most of their questions centered on Mary: "Why do Catholics worship Mary?" "Why do you say such a monotonous repetitive prayer?" "Why is Mary so important to Catholics?" First, we gently explained to them that Catholics don't worship Mary; we honor her. As for the other questions, I realized that I didn't really know the answers, so I did some research.

To the question "Why is Mary so important to Catholics," what I found out could probably fill an entire book. However, my own thumbnail answer is this: Jesus honored his mother. We, as Catholics, are called imitate Christ. He honored his mother and we should do the same. Also, as Jesus hung on the cross, He gave his mother to the whole world when He said to John, "Behold your mother."

Mary is indeed our mother and, as our mother, she desires us to be closer to her Son. The rosary is the ideal way for us to become closer to Him, because as we say the repetitive prayers (with love), we are meditating on His life.

I have found that saying the rosary has brought me closer to my husband and to Christ. Even after 29 years of marriage, we continue to say "I love you," just as we continue to say the rosary together, with love.

Text and rosary photo copyright 2011 Ellen Gable Hrkach

Sky photo copyright Josh Hrkach

The Story of a Soul Book Review

This past Saturday, October 1st, was the beautiful feast of St. Thérèse. I recently read her autobiography, The Story of a Soul (Paraclete Heritage Edition). This book is a treasure and it was a joy to read!

From the introduction by Robert J. Edmonson, translator and editor: "Just before St. Thérèse died, she told her sisters that she would spend her time in heaven doing good on earth and would send a shower of grace, what she called a 'shower of roses' to those on earth…"

I've known many (myself included) who have recited novenas to St. Thérèse and have had these prayers answered with roses.

St. Thérèse was only four years old when her mother died. She and her sisters were raised by their saintly father. Her sister, Pauline, was like a second mother to her. Thérèse was heartbroken when her sister, Pauline, entered the Carmelite convent. Thérèse entered the convent at the age of 14.

One of the most inspiring passages is from the chapter entitled "Profession to the Offering of Love," in which St. Thérèse says, "I don't desire suffering or death, either, and yet I love both of them. But it is love alone that draws me…for a long time, I desired them both. I possessed suffering and I thought I was touching the shores of heaven. I thought that the little flower would be gathered in its springtime…Now it's abandonment alone that guides me – I have no other compass. I can ask for nothing fervently any more except the perfect accomplishment of God's will in my soul."

St. Thérèse has always been one of my favorite saints and this book illustrates why. She was a holy and virtuous young woman, but also very human. She was witty, charming and down to earth. I especially appreciated that these are St. Thérèse's own words, in her unique voice and sometimes humorous expressions.

I highly recommend this beautiful book.

Thanks to Paraclete Press for the review copy.

Copyright 2011 Ellen Gable Hrkach

Sunday Snippets – October 2

Join me and the other bloggers at RAnn's place for Sunday Snippets – A Catholic Carnival. Please check out the other bloggers' posts. Here are my contributions for the week:

Hope and Trust, an article about trusting in God's will.

Feast of the Archangels with a quote from Blessed John Paul II and the St. Michael Prayer.

One of my favorite Catholic novels is now available on Kindle. Check out the info and leave a comment to be entered to win a free Kindle copy of this book: Fiction Friday – Passport Now Available on Kindle

Photo copyright Josh Hrkach